A man, Arise Kasali has told Ile Tuntun Customary Court, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, he’s no longer interested in his marriage to his wife, Kehinde Kasali.
In the divorce suit brought before the court, Arise stated that his wife was disobedient and was in the habit of staying away from home. He added that she flouted his orders at will and joined an occultic group without his knowledge.
He, therefore, prayed the court to put an end to their relationship.
“I’m a businessman and I use to travel out of town to buy goods. Any time I travel, my wife would leave home without my consent and would ensure she returned before I did.
“I once returned earlier than I planned and met an empty home. I called my wife on phone but I couldn’t reach her throughout.
“She came back the next day and lied that she went to see her mum. I insisted she wasn’t coming in. She went to her mum who came with her pleading that she was truly with her.
“I agreed to take her in after much pleading from both of them, although I was not convinced she was with her.
“My wife didn’t change after this. She has her shop near our home and there were times I sent my customers to collect goods from her or drop items with her. Many times, they would complain that her shop was closed and that she was not at home.
“I got fed up with her and thought of divorcing her, but when I considered how much I had spent on her, I let things be. I later took another wife and rented an apartment for her outside.
“One day, I got a call from my daughter who came home from school that she met an empty home. I rushed home and discovered that my wife had left home with both her belongings and mine. She took the two children she had for me along with her. I reported her to her aunt but she took sides with her.
“She was away for five months. She took me to court, but I decided to stop appearing in court because the case was dragging.
“She later called me that our children were sick. We agreed to meet at an eatery and she brought the children along. I wasn’t pleased with their looks and I gave her money to take them to the hospital. We started communicating again, and she moved back to my place.
“She told me she had learnt her lesson and promised to be a good wife henceforth, but the reverse was the case. She went back to her old ways and even got worse.
“My sister in-law came to appeal to me to let my wife attend an occasion with her. According to her, they were going to represent their mother there. I knew they were lying and told my wife I would go with them.
“On the said day, my wife left home very early before I was up. My daughter told me she saw her packed her clothes and shoes in a plastic bag and dashed out before any other person was up. I reported her to her aunt who begged me.
“My lord, my wife’s grandmother died and she went to attend her burial rites. She took long in returning after the ceremony was over. When she finally returned, I noticed she had lacerations all over her body. I was later informed she has been initiated into her grandmother’s occultic group. She actually took her position there.
“I was stunned when I heard this and have therefore come to court for divorce. My lord, I’ve had enough of her, “he said.
“I’ve had enough of my husband too, “the defendant stated.
“His family members have never been in support of our marriage and refused to go with us to the registry.
“Immediately we got married, my husband demanded that I hand over our marriage certificate to him. He threatened to stab me if I refused to.
“He restricted my movements and was always monitoring my calls.
“His family members abandoned him when he was sick. I was the one who nursed him back to health. His business also went bankrupt and he had to sell his house. We slept on the lintel of an uncompleted building for long before we could afford the rent of a one-room apartment, “Kehinde told the court.
“Having noticed that we were facing challenges, my grandmother suggested I should come to her place for a ritual which I did. I was asked to take a bath at the stream and also ate some concoctions. These according to her would open unto us doors of prosperity.
“On getting home, my husband fought me for not informing him before I took the step. He hit me on the head with iron rod. I had a deep cut and my head was stitched.
“After he became financially buoyant, he started chasing after women and would bring them home. I later discovered he had rented an apartment for one of them.
“We often fought over his adulterous acts and he would always threaten to stab me with a knife. He neglected me and cared less about our children.
“I moved out of his home and dragged him to court. We later settled our differences out of court and I moved back home.
“His business again faced another set back. We couldn’t afford to take three square meals or pay our children’s school fees. We used to lock our children in the house when their mates were in school. I took to borrowing from neighbours and friends.
“I sold my jewelry to train our children in school.
“None of his family members was there. It was my siblings who stood as guarantor for him when he wanted to take a loan from the micro finance bank when his siblings refused to do so.
“He would have committed suicide but for me. He later started accusing me of sleeping around especially with young guys in the neigbourhood and almost stabbed me with broken bottles.
“My lord, he was aware of my initiation into my grandmum’s occultic group. He sent me money on a regular basis throughout the period the ritual lasted, “the defendant stated.
After he had listened to both parties, the court president, Chief Olasunkanmi Agbaje adjourned their case till November 13 and ordered both parties to come to court with their parents on the adjourned date.